What type of RV do you own?

[Kirk W]

Now that we have discovered that contributors to the forums seem to be about half fulltimers and half part-time folks, how about joining to see what sort of RVs we like for each of the two lifestyles? For simplicity I'll only go with full-time and part- time, even though we all know that it isn't quite that simple. Once more, nothing scientific intended, just a fun little poll of some general information so that we can perhaps know ourselves a little bit better?

 

Comments are encouraged and even perhaps sharing some of your history about how you arrived at the RV which you currently own. I'll start this off by giving a little of our background.

 

We started out in a very old, used hard, poor condition tent that we were given when I got out of the Navy. That lasted a couple of years until I bought a 10X14 wall tent and then in 1972 we bought a very experienced pop-up. In 1974 we moved to a new, much larger pop-up that we kept 8 years, then moved to a used, self contained travel trailer of about 30' for 7 years, followed by a 25' motorhome for then next 9 or so years. We moved up to a new, 36' gas motorhome for our 11+ years on the road but owned that for a total of 14 years Now that we are back to part-time we have gone down to a 20' travel trailer, which we have now owned for 3 years.

[Smitty77_7]

My input, slanted towards DP's in general, as this quite often is two of the major decisions points.

 

1) Tags or non tags. Tags usually get you into a 40' + DP. (I believe Foretravel had a 37', and Country Coach had a 38' with tag, and probably others. But IMO, 95%+ of Tag DP's are 40' +.)

 

2) Many also look for under 45', to avoid special Drivers Licenses. For example, South Dakota, does not require special DL's for under 45' coaches.

 

I know it's impossible to do a poll and hit every aspect and nuance. Heck, add in slides, what side of the rig is the slides, number of slides. Leveling air vs hydraulic vs both. Roof TPM vs Fiberglass. DP's radiators side vs rear. etc., etc. - so for sure not squawking your option choices Kirk:)!

 

And noticed that I went to the DP's, as I'm sure that TC's and Trailer and 5th's and Gasser, and B's, and C's all have specific sub categories of importance too:)!

 

Best to all,

Smitty

[NJTroy]

I chose we don't fit in any group because we are in such transition right now. We own a hybrid that tows at 27', but opens to 33'. So both travel trailer under 30' and over 30'. We are currently part time, but will be moving to full time but stationary in 2016 in a 35' fifth wheel so neither under 35' nor over 35'.

 

This poll made me laugh because it so totally reflected our lives this year with everything half in and half out of full timing.

[AFchap]

We started going to RV shows the year we got married. We went on short trips with friends in a pickup camper and other friends in a Shasta trailer. Two or three times we rented a trailer in-place for vacations with our 3 kids at military recreation areas. We bought tents for the family while in Guam and used them a lot. Then after over 30 years of looking and research, we bought our first rv, a new/dealer demo 40' diesel pusher. A year later I retired & we went full time for 7 years. Now we are 4 years into apx half-timing, still in the same RV with a bit over 100k on the meter.

[Dutch_12078]

This year we spent 317 nights in our 34' gas motorhome, so I guess that makes us "part time/fulltimers".

[sandsys]

I was ten years old when my parents bought a tent trailer; we'd never camped before. Our daughter was ten years old when we bought a tent trailer; we'd been backpackers before that. Since then we've had a VW pop-top camper, two Class Bs, one Class C, and one Class A. Right now we have no RV and it doesn't look like we'll get another one anytime soon.

 

Linda Sand

[Kirk W]

I chose we don't fit in any group because we are in such transition right now. We own a hybrid that tows at 27', but opens to 33'.

I considered the hybrid as a choice, but would have to combine two of them to do that as they only allow 20 different choices.

[NJTroy]

It's okay Kirk, it was fun to laugh about the work we're doing to navigate the transition.

[Biker56]

Didn't see any place to vote for full or part time?

[theeyres]

Like many, started with a tent (spent our honeymoon travelling across Canada with a tent), then homemade tent trailer, 12' Burro, 8' truck camper, small fiver, 24' trailer, then full-time in a 35' fiver, now back to a 24' pull trailer part time, approx. on the road 3 months a year.

[Kirk W]

Didn't see any place to vote for full or part time?

Correct. Polls limit to one question and 20 choices. Based upon the just past poll we already know we are about half full-time and the other half a mix of lifestyles.

[Alie&Jim's Carrilite]

Missed the question of which RV is your primary RV. In our case the 5th wheel is primary, but the truck is actually titled as a motorcoach ... just sayin!

[LindaH]

When we were fulltiming, we did so in a fifth wheel. Now that we are snowbirds, we have the Class C in my signature. We have had, on various occasions, truck campers.

[Max Death]

Spent time in tents a a youngster. Even time as a hunting guide in tents in the high mountains of Wyoming beside Yellowstone.

Later in and out of Rvs of different sizes. Got married to my DW and was not around them. We talked about retirement and bought land to build on. Then she brought up the idea of full timing. Have been in our fifth now for three years mostly stationary. Will finish up work and retire in June then be hitting the road. Hope to run across a few of you on our travels.

Best of luck.

[oscarvan]

I only get one choice? I have two.....and use them both.

[richfaa]

To answer the question. We are long timers spending 8 to 9 months living in our 5th wheel never less than 6 months.

[Walkin45]

Tent, Champion motor home w/ 440, Coachman truck camper, now living qtrs horse trailer. Spent over 59 nights this year, so that makes me part time.

[motojavaphil]

Dad got us camping as he liked hunting. We would end up in the middle of nowhere as a family and did our bit in the hunter gathering process. Loved it as a boy despite cold winds, early hours and long walks. We were in bed as the sun went down and up with the sun rise. Happy days for sure. Got into motorcycling and found a tent fits perfectly on it making for a very primitive but fast RV. I still do motorcycle camping to this day, enjoy every moment. My sis decided to fulltime with her husband whp also motorcycle camped with me. I looked over their lifestyle and after a number of rigs ended up with an Excel which became a Beaver Motorhome and a fulltime lifestyle. Flunked out of fulltiming, sold the Beaver and put that side of our life to an end except we kept tent camping and loving it. Decided to invest in another RV, much more modest and one that could tow my Jeep. 1880 Arizona fascinates me so we are volunteering for five months at Arizona State Parks, enjoying the so called warmth and really find volunteer tasks rewarding. It never really leaves even if you try to leave it!

[Raquel]

Missed the question of which RV is your primary RV. In our case the 5th wheel is primary, but the truck is actually titled as a motorcoach ... just sayin!

X2

[Kirk W]

One thing is sure about polls. No matter how you put one together it will find someone to criticize it! It is looking like I might have left off both pickup campers and popups, but I am a bit surprised that there are none in the respondents since I have known more than one Escapee who owned each of them. At one time we dreamed of owning a pickup camper but had changed our minds before we acquired the financial ability to buy one.

[kb0zke]

Our story matches many others. We started in a series of tents, and a elderly Class C for a bit, then back to a couple of tents until the kids were gone. Then we started talking about fulltiming, so we bought a small TT as a learner. Then we decided that we were going to go fulltime, so we sold the mpg and bought our 40' Foretravel. We did several years of research before buying it, so we knew we got the right coach. Since then, though, our needs seem to be changing, so we're talking about switching to a towable.

[Kinsa]

Whereas we are still Escapees members, we no longer have an RV. (A temporary situation, we hope!)

 

When we were fulltimers, we had a long 5er (either 40' or 42', I forget).

 

The reason we went with that, even though we would have preferred a motorhome, is that it was the only sleeping configuration that would fit all of us. When considering sleeping arrangements, there were very few floorplans that worked for all eight of us.

[freestoneangler]

Fun thread Kirk... love seeing this information. Looks like the 5vers still get the nod. I would bet that those on this forum are a pretty well researched and informed group, and many find the 5ver to offer best overall value. While we're still leaning Class A, we still get the occasional pull from the 5th wheel side of the lot. I already have the truck for one .

[Kirk W]

I don't think that there is a solid explanation for the preferences of one type of RV over another that holds much validity. It is partly individual preferences and priorities, but it is also a great deal just a feeling that we get from one design or another. While I don't disagree with much that people use to support preference for the fifth wheel, I still think our reasons for choosing a class A are just as valid. But that isn't the subject of this thread.

 

It is a much closer race if you add together both sizes of fiver and also all four divisions of class A. I have seen surveys that put all motorized RVS in one group and those usually come out with the motorized very close to the same share of the market as the fiver, but I have always thought that was too combining to show much, although the A & C do share some of the same advantages and disadvantages.

 

I just realized that another choice not listed is the super C.....

[coachmac9]

My dad was an avid hunter and fisherman so we spent a whole lot of time in tents on fishing trips and in an old, old house we fixed up as a hunting camp during hunting season. We learned from an early age how to prepare the wild game we took and to never take more than we needed nor to shoot anything we weren't going to harvest for food. When I started camping with a family of my own we started with a pop-up and then a bumper pull...neither of which I liked very much. A retired uncle came by one day in his class A and I was hooked!! I knew that was exactly what I wanted and would get one when I was ready to start full timing. We did a lot of research on all the different types and sizes that we could afford (we wanted to be debt free) and came across the one we bought quite by accident....and fell in love with it. It fit our pocket book and fit most of all the requirements that we had set. We bought a 1999 Fleetwood Discovery 37 ft. one slide and with a Cummings Diesel. Very, very. We are now living in it and making the changes needed to fit our taste and making the repairs that are normal for an older coach but we are so excited and happy with our choice.